First National Bankshares of Florida Listed on NYSE; Company Shares to Trade Under the New Ticker Symbol FLB NAPLES, Fla., Dec. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First National Bankshares of Florida, Inc. announced that it will begin trading its common shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol "FLB," effective Friday, January 2, 2004. First National Bankshares is the bank holding company that was created in connection with the spin-off of the Florida operations of F.N.B. Corporation , which will be effected on Thursday, January 1, 2004. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031230/FNBFLOGO ) "We are pleased to proceed with our NYSE listing and believe this move will build long-term shareholder value by increasing our visibility with both institutional and individual investors and providing the potential for increased liquidity for shareholders," said Gary L. Tice, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First National Bankshares of Florida. Headquartered in Naples, Florida, First National Bankshares of Florida has approximately $3.8 billion in total assets and 59 full-service financial centers located throughout Southwest and Central Florida. In addition to traditional community banking, the company provides a full line of insurance, investments and wealth management services. The company will focus on expanding in the high-growth Florida market and will be well positioned for success in one of the country's most attractive areas. Reflecting this focus on growth, the company's dividend payout ratio is expected to be around 25% to 30%. Additional copies of this news release may be requested by contacting the First National Bankshares Corporate Communications Department at 1-800-262-7600, extension 1676. This document contains "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. These statements may include, but are not limited to, those containing words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "target," and similar expressions. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the effect of the spin-off; statements relating to the future financial and stock price performance of the company; statements relating to the company's future dividend policies; and earnings guidance for future periods. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, the following: costs, delays and other difficulties related to the spin-off; the impact of federal and state regulations; competition in the company's business; the company's ability to control operating costs and generate sufficient cash flow to meet operational and financial requirements; an economic downturn or changes in the laws or interest rate environment affecting the company's business in those markets in which the company operates. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031230/FNBFLOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: First National Bankshares of Florida, Inc. CONTACT: Clay W. Cone, Vice President, Director of Corporate Communications, F.N.B. Corporation, +1-239-436-1676

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